Automobile-axle.



w. w. MACFARREN. AUTOMOBILE AXLE.

APPLICATION FILED APR; 30, 1914.

Patented Nov. w, 191 I TT A8 Eh? WALTER; W. MACFARREN, OF PITTSBURGH,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO MICHAEL MURRAY, OFMOUNT SAVAGE, MARYLAND.

AUTOMOBILE-AXLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1915..

Application filed April 30, 1914. Serial No. 835,462.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, WALTER W. MAC- FARREN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, re-

siding at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Automobile-Axles,of which the following In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional.

elevation through a wheel hub and one end of my improved axle in theplane of the axle; Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the same; Fig. 3is a transverse vertical section through the steering pivots in theplane of the wheel, and Fig. 4 is a transverse section through thethrust bearing.

Referring to the drawings the axle 1 is provided with a fork 2 at eachof its ends. Only one end ofthe-axle need be described as both ends arealike. The fork 2 is provided with upper and-lower bosses 3 and 4-within which are formed bearings for the steering pivots '5 and 6, bymeans of which thestub axle 7 is secured to the main axle 1. The stubaxle 7 is provided with a central hub 8 which is flattened at 9 and 10to fit between the bosses 3 and 4. The hub 8 contains a chamber 11 theinner end 'of which has an opening 12 which is threaded to receive .ascrewed plug 13.

Beyond the chamber 11 the axle 7 isre duced to form a shank 14 providedwith a shoulder 15. At the outer end ofthe shank 14 there is formed ascrew 16 provided with.

with anut 17 and a washer l8. Mounted on the shank 14 and clampedbetween the shoulder and the washer 18 there is a ball-bearing 19adapted to take either radial or endwise load. This bearing consists ofan inner race 20 having parallel grooves for two sets-of balls 21 and22. -An outer race 23 engages the balls 21 and a second outer race 24engages theballs 22 these outer races taking the thrust of the Wheel toleft and right respectively.

All parts of the above bearing are contained within a soft steel jacket25 spun over the races 23 and 24. The wheel hub 26 is bored to fit overthe jacket 25 and provided with an internal shoulder 27, and externalscrew threads 28. A hub cap 29 is mounted on the threads 28 and providedwith an annular raised portion 30 which bears against thebearing jacket25 and clamps it against the shoulder 27. The inner'end of the hub 26 isenlarged to form a ring 31 within which a bore 32 is formed for the mainbearing 33.

Tight and loose flanges 34 and 35 are formed outside thering 31 tosecure the spokes 36. ()utside of-the hub. 8 there is formed a Web 37which supports an integral ring 38 the outside of which is turned to asmooth surface to engage the main bearing 33. The bearing 33 is hereshown as a roller bearing with straight rollers this form ofanti-friction bearing giving the greatest carrying capacity with theleast diameter but any other desired form 'of bearing, such as, oneprovided with balls or coned rollers, or even a plain bearingm'ay beused.

The stub axle 7 is provided With a U shaped extension 39 to the ring 38forming an annular groove 40 within which a felt ring 41 is placed thes'amecontacting lightly with the projecting edge of the ring 31.

Flat spots 42 and 43 are formed withinthe ring 38 to engage the bosses 3and 4.

The steering pivots 5 and 6 are provided with threaded ends 44 which arescrewed into the hub 8 the outer ends, 45 of the pins '5 and 6 beingturned to the contour of the ring 38. Both threads 44 are right hand.The inner ends of the pivots 5 and 6 are reduced in,diameter andprovided with slots 46' When the pivots 5 and 6 are screwed into placethe slots 46 are brought into line and alocking piece 47-,is passedthrough the opening 12 to engage the slots. A flange 48 prevents thepiece 47 from passing through the slots 46 and the plug 13 prevents thelocking piece 47 from coming out of the slots. An oil cup 49 suppliesoil to the interior of hub 26' through a hole 50 thus'lubricating thebearings 19 and 33. Part of the oil passes through holes51 into thecham- I 6 are in the central place of the wheel inequalities orobstacles in the road have practically no effect .on the steering, thusno shocks are present to fatigue the driver. The construction is alsomuch safer than the usual overhung stub axle, The main bearing 33 takesall the weight on the wheel and the outer bearing 19 takes only theeccentric radial loads (those due to side strains) and the thrust load.It will be obvious that instead of a combinedradial and thrust hearing19 as shown, separate bearingsforjia dial andthrust loads placed side bysidemight replace it; Steering is efiected by any" suitable mechanismconnected ":to fthefle vers I r p p The I construction. shown steerand-dust proof.

Variousimodifications may be made by those skilled the "art withoutdeparting is safe, easy to from the scope of my invention as coveredarranged to engage the ends of said trunnions and prevent rotationthereof,'and a by the following claims. I claim: "1. In a vehicle, thecombination of an .axle, a wheel provided with a hub having a largerecess in the plane ofthe spokes and a contracted recess extendingoutside of said plane, a wheel journal hinged to the axle, cylindricalroller bearings between said journal and hub substantially in the planeof the spokes and. contacting directly with the inner face of the huband the outer face of thejournal, a ball-race inthe contracted outerportion of the hub and bearing against an internal shoulder therein, acap secured to the hub and closing the outer end thereof and clampingsaid ball race against said internal shoulder, a ball race fitting onthe outer end of the jour-. nal against an external shoulder thereon, a

collar secured to the journal and clamping said ball race against saidexternal shoulder, said ball races being one within the other and havingtheir cooperating faces substantially parallel to the axis of thewheel'and provided with registering semicircular ball receivinggrooves,and balls nions having a threaded connection in the journal andextending into the central recess therein, and means in sa d centralrecess for preventing rotation of sa d trun- ,nions. I r

4. In ayehicle, the combination of an axle,a wheel provided with a hub,a wheel ,jo'urnalprojecting into the hub and having a bearing'thereinand'provided at its" inner f end with a central 'recess andiwithconcentric portionsv providedwith alining openings, trunnions-fittinginto said .alining openings, said trunnions having a;threadedconnection" in the'journal, and extending into the central recess insaidjournal, a key closure for said central recess.

.5'. In a vehicle, the combination of a to the-forks of the axle byoppositely arranged -trunnions and projecting into said hub and havingbearing therein and provided at its inner end with a centrally closedchamber, said journal and hub providing an oilchamber therebetween, aport inthe journal extending from said oil chamber to the chamber in thejournal, a port extending from said central chamber to the lowertrunnion, a roller bearing surrounding the journal in the plane of thetrunnions, and an oil duct extending inwardly through the journal fromthe roller bearing to the upper trunnion.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

WALTER W. MACFARREN. Witnesses:

J. I. KLINE, L. MOKITRICK.

